More children now gamble than skateboard, says report

Gambling is more popular than skateboarding among children, according to a new report, as fears grow over the impact of betting adverts.

A study by the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board found that 12% of 11-15 year olds gambled last week – compared with Department for Culture Media and Sport figures which showed only 4.9% roller skated, roller bladed or went skateboarding in the last month.

It says that 31,000 children are classed as “problem gamblers” and 45,000 are at risk of becoming one, and calls on the government to give gambling the same attention as it has given cyber bullying, pornography and extremism.

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The research also revealed that 91% of 11-15 year olds had seen betting adverts on TV or social media, and that 2% of those said the adverts had either prompted them to gamble for the first time, or had increased their gambling.

“Ideally, children and young people should not be exposed to marketing and advertising for gambling at all, let alone in the quantities now prevalent,” the report states.

“The potential longer-term effects of what has been a relatively recent phenomenon are unknown. There is good reason to think they might be harmful.”

The board, which advises the Gambling Commission, said that by not taking action there was a danger of “inadvertently conducting an uncontrolled social experiment on today’s youth, the outcome of which is uncertain but could be significant”.

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Under 18s in the UK can legally buy lottery tickets and scratchcards and can also play on fruit machines, making the UK “unusual by international standards”.

The study authors called this a “historical accident” which they would not recommend “if starting from scratch”.

Half the young people who gambled last week did so illegally, with 13% gambling online, the report found. Of the children who used their parent’s accounts, 43% did so without permission.

“There is a strong case for further action to reduce both the visibility of gambling marketing and advertising to children and young people and its impact,” the report says. “The increased volume of exposure online, including through social media, should be a priority.”

The board has called on operators and the Gambling Commission to be more proactive in helping to protect children and to look at sports sponsorship because of its visibility to children.

The report comes as it was announced that fines against gambling operators in the UK have risen from £1.6 million to £18 million in a year as the regulator cracks down on money laundering and unfair practices.

(c) Sky News 2018: More children now gamble than skateboard, says report